Young Children - May 2008 - (Page 45) priate Practice in a Classroom Routine We wondered if this framework had room for the idea that a leader can lead through service to his or her followers, as opposed to dominating or being powerful or above them. We asked about the leader’s chair: Does someone need to be higher than everyone else in order to be recognized as a leader? What might this say about power in relation to physical size, for example? We had every confidence that Pam had intended the Leader of the Day as a positive experience for the children, but we questioned what the children were really learning from it. Pam shares her reflection I was intrigued by Colleen and Robert’s comments. I had never thought about the deeper implications of this common practice and was grateful that the family felt comfort- able about approaching me with these questions and concerns. The openness of our discussion let me rethink this practice and its implications from different points of view, particularly the children’s. Through the Leader of the Day, I did not intend to communicate to any of the children that a child is special only on this day because he or she is the leader. In using the word special, I meant the jobs assigned to the leader; yet one child carried home a different meaning. My commitment to establishing a classroom atmosphere of fairness, cooperation, and equality for all was something I felt proud of. I invest a lot of energy in helping children learn to resolve conflicts in a democratic and fair manner and do not believe a leader has the right to be above everyone else or entitled to special treatment. In using the word special, I meant the jobs assigned to the leader; yet one child carried home a different meaning. Pam and Dora put their heads together to address the concern Pam asked me (Dora) to join her in reflecting on the family’s questions and concerns. Educators DeVries and Zan propose that the goal for doing activities should not be “to sing the song, read the story, or do the calendar . . . (but) to do these activities in the service of broader, long-term goals, goals such as the development of self-regulation, cooperation, and perspective-taking” (1994, 107). Pam and I began wrestling with these questions: • What is the purpose of having the Leader of the Day? • From the children’s perspective, what does it mean to be the Leader of the Day? • What are the children learning? Is it what we intended for them to learn? Pam indicated that as a new staff member, part of her reason for instituting the Leader of the Day routine was her wish to stick with the norm. She said she had used the approach before, but her motivation had not involved considering what children would gain from the practice. Her realization that children misinterpreted the practice caused her much discomfort and also led her to ask herself, Is the Leader of the Day practice developmentally appropriate? Young Children • May 2008 © Ellen B. Senisi 45
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